Supreme Court strikes down sex offender social media ban

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has struck down a North Carolina law that bars convicted sex offenders from Facebook, Twitter and other popular sites. The justices ruled unanimously Monday in favor of North Carolina resident Lester Packingham Jr. His…

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The graceful ceramic pedestal was coated with a thin layer of dirt, some of it perhaps lodged in the artifact’s clay pores for thousands of years. Wielding a soft brush, Marci Burton applied a blob of clear gel to the…

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — There’s a dirty little secret about artificial intelligence: It’s powered by an army of real people. From makeup artists in Venezuela to women in conservative parts of India, people around the world are doing the digital…

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, astronomers have glimpsed the dawn of the universe 13.6 billion years ago when the earliest stars were just beginning to glow. And if that’s not enough, they may have detected mysterious dark matter…

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The NASA spacecraft that gave us close-ups of Pluto has set a record for the farthest photos ever taken. In December — while 3.79 billion miles (6.12 billion kilometers) from Earth — the New Horizons…

LONDON (AP) — DNA from a 10,000-year-old skeleton found in an English cave suggests the oldest-known Briton had dark skin and blue eyes, researchers said Wednesday. Scientists from Britain’s Natural History Museum and University College London analyzed the genome of…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The railroad industry is downplaying expectations that a safety technology that could have prevented recent deadly train crashes will be in operation across the country by the end of the year. Indeed, freight and commuter rail officials…

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the enduring sci-fi moments of the big screen — R2-D2 beaming a 3-D image of Princess Leia into thin air in “Star Wars” — is closer to reality thanks to the smallest of screens: dust-like…

NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time, researchers have used the cloning method that produced Dolly the sheep to create two healthy monkeys, bringing science an important step closer to being able to do the same with humans. Since…

BERLIN (AP) — German linguists have declared the phrase “alternative facts,” popularized by White House aide Kellyanne Conway, the non-word of 2017. Conway used the phrase last year when asked why President Donald Trump’s then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer mischaracterized the…

PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors have opened an investigation into Apple over revelations it secretly slowed down older versions of its handsets. The Paris prosecutor’s office said Tuesday a probe was opened last week over alleged “deception and planned obsolescence”…

NEW YORK (AP) — We have a smiling pile of poop. What about one that’s sad? There’s loaf of bread and a croissant. But where’s the sliced bagel? How can our emotional vocabulary be complete without a teddy bear, a…

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea is one of the least Wi-Fi-friendly countries in the world. Having a device that emits Wi-Fi signals can result in detention and a major fine. Worse, if you are a North Korean. Public…

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s top security official is extending tests of automatic facial recognition technology after an initial six-month trial showed the system had a good success rate. The tests used high-quality pictures of more than 200 volunteers to identify…

For an artist whose tools are language, the beast that stalked John Green was impossible to express. Green is a rock star young adult novelist. His book, “The Fault in Our Stars,” sold more than 23 million copies and was…

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Zoo says its popular baby hippo will star in an internet video series called “The Fiona Show” starting next week. The zoo says the first video will be available on the show’s Facebook page on…

He can’t junk them. How could he? They were sophisticated machines. Stunning. You’d see a woman strike those keys with a snappy velocity that could make your eyes sweat. That ball would jump and twist, jump and twist, slapping the…

Upcoming Events

NAUGATUCK-] A free interactive Live Well Workshop to help take charge of ongoing health conditions will run on Tuesdays from March 20 to April 24 at Naugatuck Senior Center, 300 Meadow St. Participants will learn better ways of dealing with...

The topic will be benefits of minimally-invasive hernia repair using robotic-assisted technology. Surgeons Jay Shetty and Juan Diego Holguin will be available to answer questions. Attendees will have the opportunity to test drive the robot. Refreshments will be served. RSVP.

The Waterbury Sail and Power Squadron, in conjunction with Watertown Parks and Recreation, will sponsor a six-week sail and power boating course beginning Tuesday, March 20, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Polk School, 435 Buckingham St. Completion of the...